Stampin' Up!

Watercolor Trio

May 13, 2010 By Connie | 7 Comments

Sorry about the missing post yesterday! I left the house early, got home late afternoon and just ran out of time to work on anything to post! I had the best intentions! lol!

Today I worked on the Colour Q Challenge (CQC32) to use Kiwi Kiss or Old Olive, Groovy Guava or Cameo Coral, Black, Kraft and Very Vanilla. I chose to use the current Stampin' Up! colors. Those colors were perfect for the flowers in Stampin' Up!'s Watercolor Trio stamp set!

I started with a base card of Old Olive cardstock. I punched the corners of Cameo Coral cardstock with the Scallop Trim Corner Punch (still available to order!) for the next layer. I cut a strip of Kraft cardstock and wrapped Old Olive Satin Ribbon around to the back. On Very Vanilla, I stamped the three flowers in Old Olive Classic Ink, Cameo Coral Classic Ink and Sahara Sand Classic Ink (substituting for Kraft ink…which we will be getting SOON! Woohoo!) I ran the stamped Very Vanilla thru the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder (another item still available to order!), and layered it on Basic Black. Doesn't Basic Black make the colors POP? Finally, I inked the Thanks So Much from Watercolor Trio with my Old Olive and Cameo Coral Stampin' Write Markers and stamped it on Very Vanilla. I punched it with the Large Oval Punch, then layered it on a Scallop Oval from Old Olive cardstock.

I LOVE how this turned out! What do you think?

Did everyone see that the Twilight cast will be on Oprah today! I can't wait!!!! I'm so excited for the new movie, Eclipse, coming out next month! Anyone else out there addicted to this series? Oh my!

If you haven't checked out the Create with Connie and Mary site yet, now is the time to do it! We feature new Summer Mini products every week. This week we are featuring Pedaling Past, Sentimental Journey Stamp Set and Travel Journey Designer Paper. There is a new project posted every day and there will be a minimum of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. We like to have lots of fun so we have challenges and prizes for our subscribers. Our site stays up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

Coconut Shaped Favor Box and card – CCMC2

May 8, 2010 By Connie | 9 Comments

Today is Saturday Challenge #2 with Create with Connie and Mary…it is the only day we share our cards/projects on our personal blogs along with on the Create site for subscribers. Our subscribers are invited to play along for a chance to win one of two $75 merchandise gift certificates. We selected Party Favors as our theme this week…it seemed to fit with the Tropical Party, Island Oasis and Island Floral Bigz Die theme we've been doing. WINNERS of the Flip Flops have been announced, too, so check to see if you've won!

I made this Coconut shaped card as soon as I got my Tropical Party stamp set early last month and saved it for this week. I knew I wanted to save it for this week's challenge! Since this week's challenge is Party Favors, I adapted the card to a favor box, too! I love how they turned out!

On the right is the card, it folds up at the top. The straw just is adhered inside the card and the umbrella is attached to the front of the card. I made the straw by rolling up a small piece of Island Oasis striped designer paper and adhered it closed. I bent the tube so it looked like a straw. The umbrella is made by cutting Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Tempting Turquoise and So Saffron cardstock stacked together with the Circles #2 die (the large circle). Then I placed the stacked circles on the #2 Scallop Circles just so that one end hung over to be cut by the scallops. Once cut, I trimmed each of the colors so they layer on top of each other…Pumpkin Pie is the full one, Rose Red I cut off a little on the left side, Tempting Turquoise I cut off about 1/2 and So Saffron is just a sliver left on the right side. I placed a Tempting Turquoise Mini Brad at the top where they all come together.

For the Coconut, I just used a large 3 1/2 circle of Chocolate Chip cardstock cut with the Circle Scissors. I stamped Sanded Background with Chocolate Chip Classic Ink for a coconut fiber look on the front and back. I free-hand trimmed the top of the coconut to look like the stamp in Tropical Party. I made sure on the card that I left some of the folded edge at points along the top. On the favor box, I cut two of the same shape. I added an additional strip of Very Vanilla also free-hand cut to look like the inside of the coconut. Then I add the trio of flowers and leaves that were stamped and cut out. I added Mini Brads to the centers.

The Favor Box is the #2 Box XL Die that I cut off the top flap. I adhered two of the Coconut shapes, front and back. On the box, I trimmed off the bottom a little so it would sit evenly on the table. I would probably do the same with the card if I were going to make another one. Wouldn't these be FUN sitting on your table at a party?

Make sure to check out what the rest of the Create with Connie and Mary Design Team has done this week with Party Favors! I'm sure they will have wonderful ideas!

Mary Brown

Kerin Sylvester

Monika Davis

If you haven't checked out the Create with Connie and Mary site yet, now is the time to do it! We feature new Summer Mini products every week. There is a new project posted every day and there will be a minimum of two fabulous tutorials each and every week. We like to have lots of fun so we have challenges and prizes for our subscribers. Our sites stay up long after the session is done, so you will always have access to the site and the tutorials. For more information and to see our Preview Week projects please visit at Create with Connie and Mary!

Stamping 411 – Tropical Party

May 7, 2010 By Connie | 6 Comments

Well, I'm finishing out this week featuring Tropical Party. I hope you got some great ideas using this set! I think it is SO much fun.

Today's Stamping 411 sketch challenge was a lot of fun, too! I hope you take a minute and play along with the Design Operators. Just link your creation to Mr. Linky over on the Stamping 411 blog. We love to see what you do with the sketch!

For my card, I started with a base card of Rose Red cardstock. I ran Whisper White thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder. I found a strip of the striped pattern from Island Oasis Designer Paper laying on my desk, so I used it for the base along the Old Olive cardstock. I stamped the large floral in Pumpkin Pie, Rose Red, Tempting Turquoise and Old Olive Classic Ink on Whisper White and cut them out. The Old Olive I used for leaves behind the flowers. I used Mini Brads for the centers and popped them up with Stampin' Dimensionals on the front. I punched three 1/2 circles from Rose Red, Old Olive and Pumpkin Pie and lined them up along the top. Then I stamped Just For You in Basic Brown on So Saffron and punched it with the Designer Label Punch. I tucked it under the top of the Old Olive layer.

I like how it turned out! Make sure to check out what the other Design Operators did over on Stamping 411! (And…did you catch Lee's ribbon tutorial over there this week? AWESOME!)

Bloggers Challenge – Mother’s Day cards

May 7, 2010 By Connie | 23 Comments

It's Friday and time for another Bloggers' Challenge! The theme is Mother's Day cards this week. Good timing since I need to make up cards for my Mother and Mother in law.

I thought my mother would like this card with the blending of colors. You might remember I used the same color scheme a few weeks ago with this set (Ballet Blue, Pumpkin Pie and Mellow Moss). I designed this card for my Stamp Club members to do at the last meeting. They loved it!

I started with a base card of Ballet Blue cardstock. On the Whisper White layer, I stamped the medallion randomly from Stampin' Up!'s Charming set in the three colors, Ballet Blue, Pumpkin Pie and Mellow Moss. I tied a Mellow Moss Taffeta Ribbon around and tied in a bow. I added a little Jewelry Tag Punch with the words "Thanks So Much" from the Tiny Tags stamp set. (Charming, Tiny Tags and the Jewelry tag punch are STILL available even though they don't show in the Summer Mini!….yeah, Stampin' Up!) I cut the Lattice Die from Pumpkin Pie cardstock and layered it on Mellow Moss cardstock.

For the center, I stamped the words in Charming with Ballet Blue Classic Ink (stamped off for a lighter version), then used my Stampin' Write Markers to ink up the flower with Mellow Moss and Pumpkin Pie and stamped over the words. I punched it with the Wide Oval punch. I layered it on the Ballet Blue Medallion cut from Lots of Tags Sizzlets! I love how pretty the Wide Oval layers with that tag!

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! I'm spending a RELAXING one! Yeah!

Another Tropical Party and BLOG CANDY!

May 4, 2010 By Connie | 30 Comments

Yes, it's my turn to give away two of the CUTEST flip flop notepads that Mary made with the Island Floral Bigz Die in celebration of Tropical Party week over on Create with Connie and Mary! ANYONE can leave a comment on THIS post for your chance to win one of two notepads. Plus, see the other ways you can win at the bottom of this post!

I think I've mentioned that Stampin' Up!'s Tropical Party is one of my FAVORITE sets in the Summer Mini. Not only is it great for cardmaking, it has LOTS of possibilities for scrapbooking, too! I used Mary Jo's Technostamper Sketch Challenge today (TSSC120) as a basis for my card. I decided to flip it on its side for my card.

I started with the base Old Olive cardstock. I added the umbrella pattern from Island Oasis Designer Paper. Then I used the Pumpkin Pie Polka Dot from the same package as the other layer.

For my main element, I inked up the Live, Laugh & Love Happy Birthday stamp from Stampin' Up!'s On Your Birthday stamp set with my Stampin' Write Markers in Chocolate Chip and Rose Red. I stamped the palm leaves from Tropical Party in Old Olive in the corners. The coconut I inked up with Chocolate Chip and used my Stampin' Write Markers to color the umbrella and straw. I cut it out and popped it up on Stampin' Dimensionals. I stamped and cut out three of the small flowers in Tropical Party in Rose Red, Pumpkin Pie and So Saffron, then placed them along the top with Stampin' Dimensionals again. I love how this turned out!

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TROPICAL BLOG CANDY!

This week on Create with Connie and Mary we are having a "Tropical Party"! Every day during this week the team has created a project for our subscribers using the items that coordinate with the tropical set, die and paper! Mary found the footnote flip flops at a local store and just KNEW they would be PERFECT for a special project! And since we just HAD to do something with them…we are sharing them with YOU!

ANYONE can leave a comment on the blogs below on the given day and be entered into the drawings to win one! Each of us have two to give away. Would you like some ADDITIONAL CHANCES TO WIN? Well…I'm guessing YES! SUBSCRIBE to Create with Connie and Mary during THIS WEEK and be entered into ANOTHER drawing to win one of TWO that we are giving to just our NEW subscribers this week. Already a subscriber and want another chance to win? Participate in the sketch challenge that we posted this past Saturday and two lucky challenge participants will have the opportunity to WIN! Here's the schedule…

Tuesday – Connie Babbert – Inkspired Treasures
Wednesday – Kerin Slyvester – Stamps, Paper, Glitter!
Thursday – Monika Davis – Stamping Together at Monika's Place

New Subscribers – May 3-7

Challenge participants – May 1-7

So…what are you waiting for? Visit the blogs on the days above and leave a comment. Go to the Create with Connie and Mary site and JOIN this week and be entered to win. THEN…for all subscribers, participate in this week's challenge for still ANOTHER chance to win! Easy as can be! We hope we can send one of these cute flip flops to YOU!

Winners will be announced for everything on Saturday, May 8th. To find out if you are a WINNER…you need to check the Create with Connie and Mary site no later than Friday, May 14th and send us your mailing address. Good Luck!

King of the Grill

May 2, 2010 By Connie | 11 Comments

When I saw this sketch challenge from Card Positioning Systems (CPS 165), I knew immediately what I wanted to do. I loved Stampin' Up!'s King of the Grill stamp set the minute I saw it in the new Summer Mini. What a great, whimsical set for men! Lots of fun greetings in it, too! I thought the little circle accents in the sketch looked like the knobs on a grill…don't you? Ok…maybe it is just me…

I knew I wanted a RED grill, so I started with a base 5 1/4 x 5 1/4 square Real Red card. Next, I found a red pattern in Jackpot Designer Paper and layered it on Basic Black for the background.

For my focal piece, I ran the Whisper White cardstock thru my Big Shot along with an oval chipboard template and the new Square Lattice Impressions folder. The oval template allows the center to remain smooth, but around the edges are textured. A very cool technique to add some texture.

EDIT: I had to play around a little to get this to work in my Big Shot. I cut ovals out of two rectangle pieces of DSP chipboard and glued the reverse rectangle pieces together. This template (with the ovals cut out), I placed on TOP of the Impressions Folder, with the cardstock inside. I placed the Big Shot platform closed first, a piece of cardstock for the shim, then the Impressions Folder with cardstock, the chipboard on top of the Impressions Folder and finally one Acrylic Plate. That gave me enough pressure to run thru the Big Shot. It gave me the smooth oval in the front with the texture surrounding it.

I stamped my King of the Grill image in the center with Basic Black Classic Ink. I used my AquaPainter and Stampin' Write Markers in the colors of Real Red, Going Gray, Basic Black, Sahara Sand, Chocolate Chip, Brocade Blue and Bashful Blue. I used the Blush Blossom Stampin' Write Marker full strength for the face and hands. I stamped the greeting (using my Stamp-a-ma-jig!!!) "It's a BTUtiful thing!" in Basic Black Classic Ink under the image. I added the Whisper White cardstock to a layer of Basic Black, rounding the corners with my Corner Rounder Punch.

Finally, I cut a tab of Basic Black and placed it on the front of the card where I wanted it. I used my Piercing Tool and Mat Pack template to determine where my holes would be and pierced them. I added the three Star Designer Brads in a row.

I'm thrilled with how this turned out! What do you think? Hope you have a wonderful Sunday! And remember to come back for BLOG CANDY this week!

Did you know we announced the winners of the FREE subscriptions to Create with Connie and Mary? Maybe YOU were the winner if you left a comment on any of our blogs last week. Don't forget to check! And, it's not too late to subscribe to 4 weeks of great ideas and tutorials! You don't want to miss out!

Create with Connie and Mary Sketch Challenge

May 1, 2010 By Connie | 3 Comments

Today is the last day of the FREE Preview Week over on Create with Connie and Mary! It has been a fun week using the Elements of Style stamp set, Presto Patterns Specialty Paper, Rough Type and Vintage Tags products. I hope you enjoyed the projects! Starting Sunday, we will be featuring the Tropical Party Stamp Set, Island Floral Bigz Die and Island Oasis Designer Paper, but you do need to be a subscriber to view them.

The WINNERS of the FREE subscriptions have been announced! Stop over to Create with Connie and Mary and see if it was YOU! But…you only have until May 7th at 11:55 PM EST to claim your PRIZE!

I also have some special Blog Candy to offer mext week! You will want to come back and see what I have planned! They are SO much fun! (And yes…we have SEVERAL available!)

Today's CCMC1 is a Sketch Challenge that I created for our first challenge. Check out what the other designers do with this sketch over on Create with Connie and Mary! I'm always amazed at how different everyone's cards are.

I decided to flip the sketch on the side. I started with a base of Soft Suede cardstock. I layered on Melon Mambo that I roughed up around the edges with my Cutter Kit Distressing Tool. I sponged some Soft Suede Classic Ink around the edges. Then I stamped the large rose pattern from Stampin' Up!'s Elements of Style in Soft Suede randomly in the background on another Soft Suede cardstock layer. I also distressed the edges and sponged around with Soft Suede Classic Ink. I wrapped the Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon around to the back, then created a bow in the front with two more pieces of the Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon folded into loops, then secured on the front with a Fire Square Rhinestone Brad. I stamped the rose image on Whisper White layer with Soft Suede Classic Ink, then stamped it again on scrap Whisper White, colored with the AquaPainter and Stampin' Write Markers in Melon Mambo and Soft Suede and cut it out. I placed it in the center of the Whisper White. I stamped For You with Soft Suede on Whisper White and punched with the 1 1/4 circle punch. I punched Melon Mambo with 1 3/8 circle and layered it. Then finally a Soft Suede Scallop Circle and pierced the holes in the scallops. The Melon Mambo layer was run thru the Big Shot with the Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder and sponged around the edges with Soft Suede Classic Ink. I love the vintage feel to this card and the colors!

Supplies:

Sets: Elements of Style (w118611, c120045)

Inks: Soft Suede Classic Ink (115637), Melon Mambo and Soft Suede Stampin' Write Markers (Asst 116329)

Cardstock: Whisper White (100730), Melon Mambo (115320), Soft Suede (115318)

Accessories: Soft Suede Polka Dot Ribbon (115612), Square Fire Rhinestone Brads (109112), 1 1/4 Circle Punch (104403), 1 3/8 Circle Punch (104401), Scallop Circle Punch (109043), Piercing Tool (105531), Mat Pack (105826), Cutter Kit (106958), Perfect Polka Dots Impressions Folder (117335), Sponge Daubers (102892)

Again, don't forget to check out the rest of the Create with Connie and Mary design team to see what they did this week! If you are a subscriber, play along and link to Mr. Linky over on the site! You will be entered into a drawing for one of two $75 merchandise gift certificates at the end of the Summer Edition!

Create with Connie and Mary Summer Edition….$24.95 US

Stamping 411 – Tropical Party

April 30, 2010 By Connie | 3 Comments

Another week has gone by and it is time for the Stamping 411 sketch challenge again! We certainly had a LOT of people do the sketch last week! I enjoy seeing everyone's creative talents and how they interpret the sketch. I hope you enjoy this week's sketch, too! It is another easy one.

I knew that I wanted to use Stampin' Up!'s Tropical Party…I think it is my favorite set from the new Summer Mini! I used my Watercolor Crayons, Shimmer Paper and a technique called Watercolor Wash to do the background behind the Palm Tree…the colors are Creamy Caramel, So Saffron and Tempting Turquoise. Then I used my Stampin' Write Markers in Chocolate Chip and Old Olive to ink up the Palm Tree and stamped it on the background.

I layered the background on Pumpkin Pie. I added a strip of Island Oasis striped Designer Paper to a piece of Old Olive Cardstock that I ran thru the Big Shot with the Square Lattice Impressions Folder. Before I ran it thru, I stamped the leaves in the lower right corner as a background for the flowers. I wrapped some Real Red Grosgrain Ribbon over the Designer paper and secured in the back of the Old Olive. I stamped three flowers in So Saffron, Real Red, and Pumpkin Pie on scrap Shimmer Paper and cut them out. I added Mini Brads in Tempting Turquoise, Real Red and So Saffron to the centers. They are popped up with Stampin' Dimensionals on the corner of the card.

This card puts me in a tropical mood! Or maybe it is just the warm sunny day we had today! Check out the rest of the Stamping 411 Operators to see what they did with this sketch. I know I'm always amazed at what they do!